Carving out a following in local jazz circles, a standing room only, enthusiastic audience welcomed jazz quartet Elmwood Kathryn Sunday afternoon at the Traverse Area District Library.
Performing original compositions for the first of a two-part Live! Music at the Library series, the high school musicians showcased their talent, creativity and passion for music. Versatile in everything from classical jazz to contemporary, Elmwood Kathryn has played gigs at venues around town and as far away as Cadillac and Harbor Springs, united by a mutual desire to share their musical synergy.
Basically it's great friends making great music together, whether in rehearsal, on stage or in a living room jam session at a Northwest Michigan Jazz Experience house party.
"We get along and communicate really well with how we want to play something,” said Myles Boothroyd, a junior at Traverse City West Senior High School and the ensemble's alto sax player. "We have the same sense of humor and we understand each other.”
Other members of the band include electric guitarist Dan Palmer, a senior at Traverse City Christian School who attends West in the mornings for jazz band, Riley Hagan on bass and Andrew Maxbauer on drums, both juniors. Rooted in West High School's jazz band — members met there and coalesced into an out-of-school ensemble — the quartet this year welcomed vocalist and musician West junior Rachel Borovik into the fold.
The band's enthusiasm for the music inspires their philosophy of have instruments, will travel.
"We have connections, our e-mail address is out there, or they'll just get in touch with us,” said Boothroyd of landing gigs. "We haven't done any weddings yet but we'd like to. It's good money for doing what we love — we have fun and make money on the side; the main thing is the music.”
Participating in the Live! Music at the Library allowed Elmwood Kathryn and a handful of other promising young composers to train and rehearse with Jeff Haas all spring. The project's intent was to encourage and showcase emerging talent. Working with Haas kicked their forays into composing to the next level, giving the band an extensive repertoire of songs that they hope to record and release on a CD sometime this summer.
"This has been like playing with a master, we're getting all the advice he can give us and he's been doing this all his life,” said Hagan. "It's been amazing, he is one of the most positive people I've ever encountered. He's just cool.”
Whether working with just his bandmates or having Haas in the mix this spring, Hagan noted that bringing a composition to the group, performing and streamlining it together, is a blast.
"I always find that the coolest part of playing what I write is what they add to it,” he said. "The fact that they like it is cool, too.”
Borovik's smooth voice and piano playing have blended into the Elmwood Kathryn sound seamlessly. The West High School junior is heading to Interlochen Arts Academy for her senior year. She fell in love with jazz music a few years ago when on a whim, she checked out a bunch of CDs from the library. Since then, she has been taking piano lessons from Haas in addition to her singing lessons with Jayne Sleder.
"I started off just singing melodies in my head, sang them to my mother,” she recalled of her initial compositions.
Her family hosted the most recent Northwest Michigan Jazz Experience house party, welcoming musicians including George Benson. At these events and others, Borovik as well as Elmwood Kathryn have received extensive encouragement from area jazz musicians, who welcome them to sit in and play whenever they can.
"That's what I like about working with jazz musicians, they're very nurturing,” Borovik added.
Boothroyd agreed that the band's amazing opportunities to work with professional musicians has boosted everyone's performance and commitment.
"It's inspiring because you hear people so much better than you so it forces you, inspires you, to do your best,” he said.